Assistive Technology - Building capacity for IEP team members to support a student in the selection, acquisition, and use of assistive technology.
Discuss the need.
"Bump up" professional development so that IEP teams are aware (currently unaware of their capability/power to recommend for AT). They can trial things in classroom, can implement on own, don't need LATs to come out and assess. Can put devices in classrooms as trial, and also using certain software, like SOLO. Problems in knowing devices, who can use, and what to do with device. The trainings are offered in some districts in how to use software, devices; some make mandatory and some do not. Also, who offers training varies: LATS in some and FDLRS in others, or IT (e.g., Smart Tech). In some districts, FDLRS supports IT but does not drive.
(Lee County) The infrastructure in each county (e.g., instructional FDLRS and IT) is a struggle in counties - a mismatch between what software may say it can do and what IT says it can do. Looking for more universal base (IT, like HTL5) While we have all this tech that could be accessible, sometimes it is not accessible because of infrastructure road blocks.
Discuss some of the things you are currently doing that work well for you.
(Hernando) We have licenses for RWG in middle and high schools; ITs and LATS bring gen ed, ESE teachers in during planning period and train how to use. Also, LATS team utilizes 5 paraprofessionals. Two full time LATS do all evals, attend all IEP staffings, explain to parents. Five paras in schools working with students and making all visual supports for those students and classrooms. That model came from ESE director. A 7 staffperson : 22 school ratio.
(Polk) 162 schoools, small staff. Access people (pull in therapists pt/slp/ot) and did training with them. Also training staff specialists, ESE facilitators. Website.
(Pasco) ID'd AT liaisons, typically one per school, meet 2xs per year, train, 1/2 day, and also built wiki.
List some of the barriers.
1. Large number of schools without financial resources.
2. Infrastructure
3. Lack of cross communication between departments regarding UDL and AT.
4. Perception that AT is for only significantly disabled, so that some SWD have less support in the classroom.
5. Lack of knowledge by gen ed teachers of capabilities in their computers that would help SWD in their class.
List some of your resources.
> See # 2 below. (The two PDA AT modules are great; Dave's wikispace on AT materials is great )
>
Recommend activities at the state level.
> Finish TAP (please).
2. The two PDA AT modules are great; Dave's wikispace on AT materials is great - just need to get people to access what is there.
3. When state meetings occur, bring in ESE so that they are a part of the discussion (e.g., Common Core, PARCC).
4. Get tougher with text book publishers to create accessible materials.
5. State-level resource share drive for teacher created materials (e.g., specific to disability areas and already adapted or with adaptable materials).
6. "Up" the server capacity of CPALMS (improve infrastructure)
>
Recommend activities at the regional level.
1. Continue to provide opportunities for professional development not only for centers by for LATS
2. Consider bringing other staff (e.g., gen ed person, OT, SLP, or IT person) from district as well.
Recommend activities at the FDLRS Center level.
Continue to share, support, work with ESE directors in specific counties served by FDLRS centers.
2. Share the Polk website: http:// www.polk-fl.net is great, has s a handout on online assessments, "Getting Ready for Assessment" (new doc) that all centers may use - it also goes into tools, what free tools can be used daily to teach. when going on website on side says "Resources" or may type "Assistive Technology."
Recommend activities at the local level (LATS / RLATS).
If you do a big training, then follow it up by going to the school and attend IEP meetings, when possible.
2. Webinars, which allow teachers to attend, if they are unable to do "face-time."
Appropriate & Accessible Instructional Materials - Support an integrated assessment of accessible instructional materials, flexible digital materials, online learning needs, and emergent technologies.
How are people doing AIM assessments?
(Polk and Hernando) AIM Explorer. Look at select student samples: what are students currently reading?
(Lee) PAR from Don Johnston for text to speech.
Progress monitoring, rubrics.
How are we making sure everyone who is eligible for NIMAS:Florida services is receiving those services?
How are we connecting with reading coaches and reading teachers?
How are we supporting online learning?
Discuss the need.
Discuss some of the things you are currently doing that work well for you.
One district described teachers tracking data on which medium works best for kids: paper, computer, white board. Using data to support decisions on AT decisions, communication devices.
List some of the barriers.
> Lack of internet access.
2. Depends on student.
>
List some of your resources.
AIM Explorer
Recommend activities at the state level.
A Learning Media Assessment for not just students VI, but for everyone, including cross-curricular
2. Rubrics, checklists to support data based decisions (e.g., a feature match of paper, computer, white board of accommodations to kids, including a student interview/input portion.
>
Recommend activities at the regional level.
>
Recommend activities at the FDLRS Center level.
>
Recommend activities at the local level (LATS / RLATS).
>
UDL & MTSS – Supporting the local implementation of a universal, differentiated core curriculum infused with 21st Century Skills that addresses the Common Core Standards in a multi-tiered system of supports.
Discuss the need.
(Suncoast and Crown) DI strong, UDL language semantically slightly different needs to be more explicit so that teachers understand how UDL correlates with DI and how it will meld with Common Core.
Discuss some of the things you are currently doing that work well for you.
List some of the barriers.
> Funding for UDL
2. Getting teachers out to go to workshops (overtaxed, exhausted). They want to go during worktime.
3. Class size (it takes time to prepare individualized supports and if you have 30 kids, they need manageable class sizes).
4. Facilitation may not be giving kids support they need (no time for collaboration, creating individual supports).
5. Funding for subs.
6. ITs and infrastructure - lack of knowledge
>
List some of your resources.
> Pascoe County has an excellent IEP training for gen ed teachers.
>
Recommend activities at the state level.
Require any teacher certification to have some awareness of the needs of the student with disabilities (similar to ESOL requirement).
2. ESE teachers be required to take PDA AT module for recertification
3. that ESES teachers who take PDA AT module be allowed to bank those instructional units until their next recert period.
4. that FLDOE/BEES talk with universities about requiring AT content to be covered in post secondary courses.
>
Recommend activities at the regional level.
Have regional MTSS, LATS/RLATS and FDLRS meetings.
2. Include DA (District Accountability) people in the above.
Recommend activities at the FDLRS Center level.
>
Recommend activities at the local level (LATS / RLATS).
Size Alike Medium - Large
Crown
East
Gulfcoast
Hillsborough
Island Coast
Suncoast
Sunrise
Tools
Online Timer - http://timer.onlineclock.net/Shift from Don Johnston - http://www.donjohnston.com/prof_services/shift/index.html
Book: Switch - How to Change Things When Change is Hard - http://www.amazon.com/Switch-Change-Things-When-Hard/dp/0385528752
Focus Areas
Assistive Technology - Building capacity for IEP team members to support a student in the selection, acquisition, and use of assistive technology.
"Bump up" professional development so that IEP teams are aware (currently unaware of their capability/power to recommend for AT). They can trial things in classroom, can implement on own, don't need LATs to come out and assess. Can put devices in classrooms as trial, and also using certain software, like SOLO. Problems in knowing devices, who can use, and what to do with device. The trainings are offered in some districts in how to use software, devices; some make mandatory and some do not. Also, who offers training varies: LATS in some and FDLRS in others, or IT (e.g., Smart Tech). In some districts, FDLRS supports IT but does not drive.
(Lee County) The infrastructure in each county (e.g., instructional FDLRS and IT) is a struggle in counties - a mismatch between what software may say it can do and what IT says it can do. Looking for more universal base (IT, like HTL5) While we have all this tech that could be accessible, sometimes it is not accessible because of infrastructure road blocks.
(Hernando) We have licenses for RWG in middle and high schools; ITs and LATS bring gen ed, ESE teachers in during planning period and train how to use. Also, LATS team utilizes 5 paraprofessionals. Two full time LATS do all evals, attend all IEP staffings, explain to parents. Five paras in schools working with students and making all visual supports for those students and classrooms. That model came from ESE director. A 7 staffperson : 22 school ratio.
(Polk) 162 schoools, small staff. Access people (pull in therapists pt/slp/ot) and did training with them. Also training staff specialists, ESE facilitators. Website.
(Pasco) ID'd AT liaisons, typically one per school, meet 2xs per year, train, 1/2 day, and also built wiki.
1. Large number of schools without financial resources.
2. Infrastructure
3. Lack of cross communication between departments regarding UDL and AT.
4. Perception that AT is for only significantly disabled, so that some SWD have less support in the classroom.
5. Lack of knowledge by gen ed teachers of capabilities in their computers that would help SWD in their class.
- > See # 2 below. (The two PDA AT modules are great; Dave's wikispace on AT materials is great )
>- > Finish TAP (please).
>2. The two PDA AT modules are great; Dave's wikispace on AT materials is great - just need to get people to access what is there.
3. When state meetings occur, bring in ESE so that they are a part of the discussion (e.g., Common Core, PARCC).
4. Get tougher with text book publishers to create accessible materials.
5. State-level resource share drive for teacher created materials (e.g., specific to disability areas and already adapted or with adaptable materials).
6. "Up" the server capacity of CPALMS (improve infrastructure)
1. Continue to provide opportunities for professional development not only for centers by for LATS
2. Consider bringing other staff (e.g., gen ed person, OT, SLP, or IT person) from district as well.
2. Share the Polk website: http:// www.polk-fl.net is great, has s a handout on online assessments, "Getting Ready for Assessment" (new doc) that all centers may use - it also goes into tools, what free tools can be used daily to teach. when going on website on side says "Resources" or may type "Assistive Technology."
2. Webinars, which allow teachers to attend, if they are unable to do "face-time."
Appropriate & Accessible Instructional Materials - Support an integrated assessment of accessible instructional materials, flexible digital materials, online learning needs, and emergent technologies.
(Polk and Hernando) AIM Explorer. Look at select student samples: what are students currently reading?
(Lee) PAR from Don Johnston for text to speech.
Progress monitoring, rubrics.
One district described teachers tracking data on which medium works best for kids: paper, computer, white board. Using data to support decisions on AT decisions, communication devices.
- > Lack of internet access.
>2. Depends on student.
- A Learning Media Assessment for not just students VI, but for everyone, including cross-curricular
>2. Rubrics, checklists to support data based decisions (e.g., a feature match of paper, computer, white board of accommodations to kids, including a student interview/input portion.
UDL & MTSS – Supporting the local implementation of a universal, differentiated core curriculum infused with 21st Century Skills that addresses the Common Core Standards in a multi-tiered system of supports.
(Suncoast and Crown) DI strong, UDL language semantically slightly different needs to be more explicit so that teachers understand how UDL correlates with DI and how it will meld with Common Core.
- > Funding for UDL
>2. Getting teachers out to go to workshops (overtaxed, exhausted). They want to go during worktime.
3. Class size (it takes time to prepare individualized supports and if you have 30 kids, they need manageable class sizes).
4. Facilitation may not be giving kids support they need (no time for collaboration, creating individual supports).
5. Funding for subs.
6. ITs and infrastructure - lack of knowledge
- > Pascoe County has an excellent IEP training for gen ed teachers.
>- Require any teacher certification to have some awareness of the needs of the student with disabilities (similar to ESOL requirement).
>2. ESE teachers be required to take PDA AT module for recertification
3. that ESES teachers who take PDA AT module be allowed to bank those instructional units until their next recert period.
4. that FLDOE/BEES talk with universities about requiring AT content to be covered in post secondary courses.
2. Include DA (District Accountability) people in the above.